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Crime Reporter
The Tynwald High School driver who was wanted by police in Mutare following the tragic accident that claimed the lives of six learners who were on a road trip to Nyanga last month has been arrested in Harare for seven counts of culpable homicide.

However, in another sad development, a Geography and Sociology Upper 6 teacher, who was part of the trip succumbed to injuries yesterday bringing the death toll to seven.

The teacher has been battling for life at Avenues Clinic since the accident.

Police said the bus driver, Chamunorwa Machimbidzofa was reported to have been on the run for more than three weeks and had not cooperated with the police after the accident.

He was arrested yesterday in the city while moving around offering condolences to some of the parents of the deceased.

Machimbidzofa was taken to Mutare for further investigations.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the developments.

“He was arrested yesterday (Tuesday) in Harare and had been on the run for three weeks. He did not cooperate with the police also after the accident and has been playing hide and seek. He is likely to face culpable homicide charges,” he said.

Police said Machimbidzofa was supposed to have cooperated with the police by providing the relevant documents required when one is involved in the accident, in terms of the Road Traffic Act.

It is alleged that on several occasions police tried to contact him, he would refer them to his ‘lawyer’.

He also wasn’t going to his workplace at the school, resulting in the school not giving him his salary.

Six learners comprising, five girls and a boy, from Tynwald High School, died when the school bus which was on its way to a trip veered off the road and overturned at the 75 km peg along Rusape Nyanga Road near Pine Tree Hotel at around 7pm.

The bus driver allegedly failed to negotiate a sharp curve resulting in the bus rolling several times on a steep slope. It then landed on its roof.

Thirty-nine other learners and staff members were injured and were taken to Nyanga District Hospital and Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare.

The deceased Anesuishe Hove (14), Beyonce Guyo (15), Anita Manyuka (16), Destiny Dziva (14), Kimberly Tarisai Mutusva (15) (all female) and Craig Madanhire (14) were buried at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare.

At its core, the term “culpable homicide” refers to an unlawful killing which is not classified as murder due to the intention of killing being absent.